Granada Lodge

Granada Lodge was Granada's initial take on the newly-emerging motel market. They started building them in the 1980s, but when Granada acquired Trusthouse Forte they gained access to the established Travelodge brand, which they then used instead.

Granada Lodge was a clear sign of Granada trying to take on Forte. Their expansion was quick and often strategic, especially around 1988. It's also a good precursor to the UK budget hotel industry in the 2000s, where big names would plan their sites around their competition and not profits.

Granada Lodge received a further boost when the recession hit in the late 1980s, as businessmen were looking to reduce their accommodation costs and became loyal budget hotel customers.

The name Granada Hotel was used for several larger and more upmarket sites they experimented with. Granada concluded that the budget hotel business performed better, which would be why they found Travelodge so attractive.